Dalai Lama

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, "Tenzin Gyatso, is both the head of state and the spiritual leader of Tibet. He was born on 6 July 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern Tibet...

"His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a man of peace. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet.  He has consistently advocated policies of non-violence, even in the face of extreme aggression. He also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concern for global environmental problems. "His Holiness has travelled to more than 62 countries spanning 6 continents. He has met with presidents, prime ministers and crowned rulers of major nations. He has held dialogues with the heads of different religions and many well-known scientists."


 * Winner of the 1999 Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's Distinguished Peace Leadership Award

The Dalai Lama was forced to flee Tibet into exile following a failed 1959 uprising against Beijing's control of the region, and he now lives in India. In March 2008, demonstrations in Tibet's capital Lhasa marking the anniversary of that uprising descended into violence and spread to neighboring areas with significant Tibetan populations. China says 21 people were killed by rioters during the turmoil, but exiled groups say more than 200 Tibetans died -- most of them at the hands of Chinese security forces.

Wikileaks documents reveal Dalai Lama concerned about climate change in Tibet
According to government documents revealed by Wikileaks, in 2009 the Dalai Lama said world leaders should focus on addressing climate change and other ecological problems in Tibet rather than its political problems, as environmental problems in his Himalayan homeland were more pressing. The Dalai Lama made the comments in an August 2009 meeting with the U.S. ambassador to New Delhi: "Melting glaciers, deforestation, and increasingly polluted water from mining projects were problems that 'cannot wait,'" the memo quoted the Buddhist monk as saying to ambassador Timothy Roemer, whereas he said Tibet could wait 5-10 years for solutions to its political problems. The Dalai Lama criticized China's energy policy, saying the construction of dams in the region had displaced thousands of Tibetans and flooded religious sites. He called for compensation and vocational training for the displaced.

In the same cable, the Dalai Lama said his faith in China's government had grown "thinner" after several rounds of failed negotiations on the future of his homeland, and said Tibetans believed China favored "ruthless oppression." He warned that should China become a global superpower, it would "resemble the former Soviet Union, securing its rule using suspicion and fear," the cable said.

Affiliations

 * Founding Patron, BODHI
 * Patron, Desmond Tutu Peace Trust (S.A.)
 * Patron, Tibet House
 * Patron, World Congress of Faiths
 * Chair, Foundation For Universal Responsibility Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama
 * Honorary Member, Club of Budapest: Members
 * Member, World Commission on Global Consciousness and Spirituality
 * Leadership Council, Front Line

Selected Awards

 * October 17, 2007, U.S. Congressional Gold Medal
 * February 16, 2006, Ben Gurion Negev Award
 * September 19, 2003, Human Right Award from the International League for Human Rights, New York
 * November 24, 1999, Life Time Achievement Award from the Hadassah Women's Zionist
 * May 8, 1998, Juliet Hollister Award, Juliet Hollister Foundation, New York
 * June 4, 1994, 	Franklin D. Roosevelt, Freedom Medal from the Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt Institute
 * March 20, 1994, Fellow of Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
 * March 14, 1993, International Valiant for Freedom Award, The Freedom Coalition, Melbourne
 * October 10, 1991, Wheel of Life Award, Temple of Understanding, New York
 * April 17, 1991, Advancing Human Liberty Award, Freedom House, New York
 * January 23, 1969, Lincon Award, Research Institute of America, U.S.A.
 * September 16, 1959, The Admiral Richard E. Byrd Memorial, Int'l Rescue Committee, 	U.S.A.
 * August 31, 1959, Ramon Magaysay Award for Community Leadership, Ramon Magaysay Committee, Philippines

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Lodi Gyari
 * Tenzin G. Tethong is his Secretary
 * Mark Handelman
 * Joel McCleary
 * Michael van Walt
 * Gregory B. Craig
 * David E. Morey
 * Richard Oppenheimer
 * Betty Williams
 * Lama Surya Das
 * Tibet Fund
 * Abraham Path Initiative
 * Leonard Peltier Defense Committee

Other Critical Resources

 * Victor Trimondi & Victoria Trimondi, The Shadow of the Dalai Lama: Sexuality, Magic and Politics in Tibetan Buddhism Only available in English on their website but published in German in 1999 by the Patmos Group as Der Schatten des Dalai Lama—Sexualität, Magie und Politik im tibetischen Buddhismus. (pen names used by Mariana Rottgen and Herbert Rottgen)